Last revised Oct. 23, 2006

Course Syllabus for IRLS 424/524



COURSE NAME, NUMBER, AND PREREQUISITES

IRLS 424/524

Information Resources Evaluation

No prerequisites
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COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to familiarize students with the theory, practice, and issues of reference services in libraries and information centers.  Upon completion of the course, students should be able to describe the principal features of reference services in a variety of environments. Specific topics covered include information provision theory; information seeking and retrieval; the history and philosophy of reference services; types of reference services; reference service in different information environments; the reference interview; the fundamentals of bibliographic control; the evaluation of reference sources and services; the management of reference services; specific types of reference sources, in both physical and digital formats; and other topics. Learning will be through reading the textbook, online lectures, and additional resources; completion of assignments; and active participation.  Three credit hours.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath, Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2006. Can be ordered via the U.A. Bookstore Web site.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

All students are required to do the readings, complete the assignments on time, do all the assignments to receive a course grade, and participate in discussions by posting and by reading other students' posts.  Students are expected to log in to the course at least 2 to 3 times each week during the semester. Details about assignments, grading criteria, and other matters will be available in our d2l course site by the first full week of the spring semester.

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COURSE POLICIES

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' 

If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.


Accommodating Disabilities

The University has a Disability Resource Center.

If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.

Assignment Policies

The problem sets and the resource paper must be html files and must be submitted for grading to the dropbox in the d2l course space. Late assignments will not be accepted, except in dire emergencies. Student participation in the discussions is to be paced throughout the semester. 

Incompletes
I do not grant incompletes except in extreme situations.

The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads
The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester.

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.

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GRADING

Assignments and points allotted them are:

3 problem sets, 10 points each
 30
Resource evaluation paper
 20
Web-based pathfinder
 25
Participation
 10
Final
15
   Total
 100

 

Grades and points:

A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=59 and below


Different requirements will apply to undergraduates taking the course as IRLS 424.

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CONTACTING ME

Office Phone: 520-621-3957
E-Mail: ckmalone@u.arizona.edu
Office:  No. 12
Office Hours: Via email, and, by appointment, via course chatroom amd telephone

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